The Life & Times of Ziva David
by acciocrazychick
Summary: A series of one-shots of Ziva's life experiences up until she asks Tony the question we all know and love.
1. Baby Sister

A/N: By _their_, I mean Rivka and Eli's oldest child. Ziva is four years old. This one is shorter than I would have liked. Promise that the next updates will be longer. Reposted because of reasons.

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Hospital | Be'er Sheva , Israel

10:00

March 26, 1986

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"Auntie Nettie, please!" the little girl pleading with the woman, tugging on her pale blue dress. The woman seemed poised and graceful which comes with age, rough mocha skin that makes you want to wonder what she does for a living with an oval shaped face, average size ears, brown eyes, a straight nose, and full pink lips with age lines that tell you she could tell you a story or two.

"Wait, _tateleh,_ till you see your baby sister, and then you may have a piece of candy." Aunt Nettie trying to bargain with the child dressed in a stained pink and white jumper with matching dirty sandals. The little girl has big mocha colored eyes and dark brown hair that is currently up in a messy ponytail. "Let's get you changed before your mother sees you."

"Yes Auntie Nettie." The little girl nods following her Aunt into the bathroom.

"Here, _motek,_ change your clothes. We do not want your mother seeing you and realizing that I let you play outside with the neighborhood boys" Aunt Nettie proclaims, handing her a white short sleeve shirt, a pair of orange over-all shorts and a pair of white sandals. Nettie knew how much Rivka dislikes her little girl playing with the boys down the street, not because of their race or religion but because her mother preferres that she play with little girls not little boys. Her niece preferred playing t-ball than playing tea party.

"Ready to go" the toddler said clicking the restroom stall open presenting herself adorn in her new clothes.

"_Tateleh_, I want you to know something. Your father may not be there when we arrive." Aunt Nettie bends down to be at the little girl's height.

"'Why not," the curious child asks raising her eyebrows, "Dose Papa not like the new baby?"

"Child I am sure he came before we did but he has to do his work. Special Papa work. But I bet he will visit your mother soon." Aunt Nettie charms the young child. Her brother may not have even visited his wife or even been there for the birth. He nearly missed the birth of their oldest child; she prays to God that he did not miss this little one's. Marching hand in hand up to the reception desk, "Hello, we're family for Rivka David."

"Ah I was told to be expecting family. By your eyes, I'm guessing you're the big sister?" the perky blonde haired nurse exclaims.

"I not want to be big sister. My Auntie p'omis'd candy." the youngster proclaims, crossing her arms in a pout.

Bending down to the girl's height the nurse replies "I bet you'll change your mind once you see her."

The little girl just grimaces at the nurse, then tugging on her Aunt's dress. "Could we have the room number please?"

"Yes, room number 223. I can show you the way?" the perky nurse asks as she comes around to the front of the desk.

"That's alright, my dear. We can find the room ourselves." Aunt Nettie proclaims as she holds the little girl's hand tight. They walk down a hallway towards the sign that points to rooms 220 through 230. "Here we are."

As soon as they arrive the toddler yanks her hand from hers, opens the heavy door and squeals "Papa, you are here!"

"Of course I am here. Where would I be other than here?" he asks as she runs into his arms and picks her up. "Be very quiet, your mother is sleeping."

"I do not want a baby sister." She pleads with her father.

"Ziva Elaina" he carries her towards a bassinet "meet Talia Abigayle."

"She is so small" Aunt Nettie proclaims pulling up a chair next to the bassinet. "Would you like to hold her, Ziva?"

Curiosity takes over her, before she can object to holding the baby; her father and Aunt have the baby in her little arms "She has your eyes."

Ziva just nods, the feeling coming over her that she has to protect this baby, her little sister, from anything and everything.

"Look, she's lookin' at me, Aunt Nettie." Ziva proclaims pointing at the newborn.

"I see. Are you glad you came today?" Aunt Nettie asks, taking the newborn out of the toddler's arms and putting her back to her plastic clear bassinet.

"Bye baby sister, Tali" Ziva says, liking the way her name tasted on her lips as they both walked hand in hand out the door.

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A/N: translations

Tateleh (tat-a-lay) meaning little darling in Yiddish

Motek (Mo-tek) meaning sweet one in Hebrew


	2. Missing

A/N: For anyone curious, the way to pronounce her dance teacher's name is _ahh-DEENA _and Ziva's friend's name is pronounced_ kah-ream. _Ziva is still four. Tali is not yet a year old. You will see Kareem in later updates. I know very little about ballet so if any of this information is incorrect, please correct me. Tag to 03x17 "Ravenous". My best friend chipped in to beta this for me without knowledge of any of the NCIS characters. Constructive criticism and feedback is greatly appreciated.

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School Gymnasium |Be'er Sheva , Israel

18:00

August 1984

Her second year class, with their array of colorful handmade costumes, followed Miss Yadina in a single line. Miss Yadina Eshel was a pretty young woman in her early twenties. She had light brown hair with light brown eyes, petite and had very cherry disposition.

When Ziva stood on her mark, she looked out and there in the front row was her mother, her little sister in her lap, her best friend, Kareem and next to him was an empty hard silver metal chair. Rivka notices Ziva's eyes on the empty chair, hands Tali to Kareem and walks out. Ziva assumes to page her father. He promised he would be there.

A month earlier, when Rivka and Tali were picking Ziva up from school, Miss Yadina asked if she could speak with her parents.

"At our next recital, there will be two solos. Since Ziva is at the top of the class I was wondering if she would like to have a solo." Miss Yadina asked smiling addressing Rivka; pulling back a piece of hair that had fallen out of her messy bun.

"Ziva, come here please." Rivka commands as Ziva runs to her mother. "Would you like to have a dance solo?"

"Will Papa be there this time?" Ziva asks her mother who at her words began fidgeting with her Star of David necklace.

"I sure hope so. Why would he want to miss his daughter's first solo dance" Rivka exclaims trying to sound hopeful for Ziva's sake.

"I will dance the solo." Ziva proclaims jumping up and down as she bends down to tickle her little sister's stomach who is bundled up in her stroller "Guess what Tali? I get to dance a solo in the recital next month. Papa will have to come!"

"I am afraid that if I agree to let my _bat_ do this, she will not dance the solo unless her father shows up." Rivka explains.

"I do not mean to interfere with family matters but what does her father do exactly?" Miss Yadina asks curiously.

"He has been a Mossad operative since I met him." Rivka replies honestly.

"Ziva is an amazing child, somewhat of a tom boy at times but has the ability to do great things such as join the Israeli ballet, if her skills are honed and perfected."

"You really think so?" Rivka asked her eyes going wide.

"She has the build of a wonderful dancer. She is a natural." Miss Yadina replies smiling walking away.

Rivka comes back into the gymnasium and sits down; her face is red as if she had been crying as she picks Tali up and sets her in her lap,

"Ladies and Gentleman, if you do not already know me, my name is Miss Yadina. If you will look in your programs, you will see a list of the dances we will be doing along with all of the dancers' names. Thank you and I hope you enjoy our recital." Miss Yadina introduces backing away from the center of the make shift grey stage.

The music begins; each step she took was perfected, each twist and jump flawless. She looks out to the audience, eyeing her small family minus the one person who she craved to be there.

The rest of the recital blurs together. Her solo goes on without a hitch, perfecting her jumps and spins like a natural. Once her solo is over she hears the audience clap but is only focusing on the man that isn't there. 'I must not cry, I must not cry' she tells her self internally as she dances with the rest of her class.

"Ziva you were amazing!" she hears her mother cry as she runs to grab her eldest daughter in a hug, descending down the stairs.

She smiles grabbing the flowers her mother hands her, hugging her again. She knows that her mother can see her disappointment that her father is not here.

They go out for ice cream along with Kareem on the way home, when they get out of the car she waves to Kareem who walks towards his house. "Come, _bat _let's get you out of your costume and get you ready for bed" her mother calls from the house rocking Tali back and forth to sleep.

After she is changed and has brushed her teeth, she hears voices coming from her father's study.

"You knew that there was a chance that I could not make it, Rivka. I will explain to Zivalah in the morning why I did not come to her recital."

"You did not see her up there on stage. The minute she walked out and saw you were not there. Her eyes, Eli..." Rivka tries to explain.

"Speaking of that, I want her to stop taking dance lessons. She needs to start learning foreign languages', not just Arabic or Hebrew. I will have Ari help her. She's four years old; she does not need to know how to dance. Dancing is for women who do not need to grow up and defend their country, like Ziva does. I will have Amit train her. She will start stretching and eventually she will start running in the morning..."

"She is just a little girl, Eli. She should not be put under so much stress." Rivka exclaims.

"May I continue?" Eli asks sternly. A nod of his wife's head is all he needs. "As I was saying, she shall begin a rudimentary workout routine that once completed will began to be more complex and complicated.

She listens through the cracked door. If her father wants her to stop taking dance lessons, she will. She will do whatever it takes to please her father. Do whatever it takes to make him proud.

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A/N: _Bat_ means daughter in Hebrew


	3. Transitions

A/N: Episode tag to 06x10 "Road Kill" and 08x09 "Enemies Domestic". Ziva's seven, Tali's four and Ari's seventeen. Constructive criticism and feedback is greatly appreciated.

Haifa, Israel

13:00

June 1987

===================================================================================== "Aunt Nettie!" Tali squeals throwing her little arms open, running into her aunt's arms.

"Lamb! I'm so glad you came." Aunt Nettie replies hugging the younger of her two nieces. "Where is your Ima and sister?"

"Fightin', ZeZe wants to stay with Papa for the week." Tali explains quickly. Nettie makes a face as she hears her sister-in-law and her eldest niece arguing.

"I do not understand why I cannot stay with Papa, Ima?" Ziva asks for the hundredth time.

"Because he will be too busy, he cannot have a little girl in his way." Rivka tries to explain to her stubborn daughter.

"I will not be in the way. I will help him when he is at home and when he is at work I can take care of myself."

"You are seven years old. You are still a child. A child should not be able to take care of herself," Rivka argues.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Papa took care of himself when he was younger than me."

"Only because his Papa and his Ima could not afford to have him watched, when I was your age my grandmother and my aunts would take care of me and my brother."

"Well I am not you. We are here not there. I will be up in my room if there is an emergency." Ziva proclaims telling everyone with her eyes that this argument is over.

"Lamb, why don't you go try to see what is up with your sister?" Aunt Nettie asks Tali. "While your mother and I get you some snacks."

As Tali climbs the stairs and out of ear shot, "I cannot take Eli's influence over Ziva anymore. I can take her learning about knives. I could even take her handling the knives but now he has her throwing knives. I was okay with the self defense classes, the girls need to know how to defend themselves. After I got off the phone with you to tell you I was driving up, Tali and Eli came home, Tali smelled like dirt…"

_"What happened to you?" Rivka asked Tali as she goes over to the sink grabs a washcloth and starts washing the dirt of Tali's face seeing Eli climbing the stairs to his study._

_"Papa blindfolded Ziva and I and we went for a drive. I was scared because I did not know where Papa was taking us but Ziva was not. She held my hand all the way there."_

_"Where is there, ahava?" Rivka asked._

_"There were lots of trees. I couldna' find Papa ZeZe told me that he was gone, that" Tali explains to Rivka. "ZeZe told me she knows the way out and that I should take that way. She would take the opposite way so that if any of Papa's men came looking they would know, I was scared so I took the way ZeZe knew."_

"How did Ziva get back?" Aunt Nettie asks.

"She got home after dark, covered in mud, dirt. She looked exhausted but walked up to Eli's study and talked to him for an hour. I asked her today what they talked about; she told me it was none of my business."

"Ari is here!" Ziva exclaims running down the steps followed by Tali's squeals of excitement as she runs out the door. Ari hugs his little sister as she comes running out the door. Rivka could not hear what her step-son was saying but the way she smiled gave her a good idea. Looking at her two daughters now, they were complete opposites. Tali loved dolls, playing dress up and wearing dresses and skirts while Ziva's favorite doll was G.I. Joe, preferred riding bikes and climbing trees and liked wearing pants and baggy shirts.

Ari entered the house with one arm around Ziva and the other arm around Tali. "How is Rivka doing today?" He sees through her smile, which cues Aunt Nettie, "Tali-bug, Motek let us go out and get your bags. Will you tell me all about school?"

"ZeZe punched a boy during her play time, Aunt Nettie" Tali squeals running to her aunt beaming as Ziva crosses her arms while rolling her eyes at her younger sister, stalking out the door to the car.

"Please tell me what is wrong, Rivka" Ari asks sitting down on the stool in front of the wooden island in his Aunt's kitchen.

Rivka sighs, sitting down alongside her step-son, "I am highly considering leaving Eli."

"I had my suspicions four years ago, when my father demanded that Ziva stop her dance classes. The Rivka that my father fell in love with would never put up with that." Ari explains sadly. "What has my father done to you?"

"Other than give me two beautiful daughters. One who I fear will turn out exactly like her father and one who turn out exactly like her grandmother."

"Your mother?" Ari asks confirming his theory getting up from the stool to get himself a glass of tea.

"Yes, she was such a compassionate woman, never wanted of anything," Rivka reminisces as she too slides off her stool to get herself something to drink.

"I see with Ziva you have your hands full" Ari chuckles taking off his leather jacket and sitting back down.

"You have no idea. I had to come and get her from school because she punched a boy in her class. I don't have you to blame for this do I?"

"No, I believe that is all Amit. I heard from father before I came here, that he is beginning to teach her Krav Magna." Ari explains eyeing Rivka's reaction.

"He is never home anymore. Always on missions, I cannot have him put his job before his family any longer," Rivka replies angrily. "It doesn't help that no matter what I say, Ziva tells me that Papa lets me do this and that or Papa wouldn't make me do that".

"Why don't I take Ziva for a walk on the beach and talk to her?"

"She's more likely to listen to you than me," Rivka replies getting up from her stool and walking out of the room.

Ziva walks in with a knapsack on her back, "Little Sister, you want to go for a walk on the beach, just you and I?" Ari asks her as she looks up.

"Ken," she replies as she throws her knapsack on the couch.

"I must ask you why you punched the young boy," Ari asks as they both begin walking the beach holding their shoes.

"His name was Shmuel, we sat next to each other in class. I only punched him once and he fell down," Ziva says proudly. "He told me he liked me."

"Are we talking about Officer Rubenstein's son, the man with glasses and the big nose?" Ari asks her trying his best not to laugh and encourage her.

"Yes, his son," Ziva replies standing up a little taller.

"You asked me what it was like being a Mossad officer the last time I came to visit, yes?" Ari asks her. Ziva nods as he continues, "You train constantly and you follow orders. Orders that you may not like, orders that you may not want to do but you must do them. You must do them for your country. To keep the one's you love safe. Do you understand?"

"Yes, that is why Papa misses so much. He's following orders," Ziva says trying to understand.

"Yes, something like that. It's just like listening to Rivka. You may not like what she wants you to do or even want to do what she wants you to do but you should do it anyway. If you want to join up the ranks, you have to listen and not defy orders. Do you understand me still?" Ari asks her again making sure to keep eye contact.

"Ari, you underestimate me," Ziva replies with a smile.

"Do you promise me you will listen to Rivka and do as she says, if not for my sake then how about Tali's? You told me once that you wanted to protect her, right? You want to be a great big sister?" Ari asks her, stopping and squatting down in the sand at her level. Ziva nods again "I heard you were fighting with Rivka on the drive up here. Do you think that's setting a good example?"

"No," Ziva says quietly though not breaking eye contact.

"Don't look so sad, Ziv. I love you." Ari exclaims picking her up and twirling her around in a circle.

"I love you too, Ari. I always will," Ziva cries as her bare feet land back on the rough sand


End file.
